Betty Blair’s Birth Announcement

One of the smartest things I’ve ever done is hire out my baby announcment design. Although I’m a graphic designer and I love designing baby announcements for everyone else, I had the forethought to know I shouldn’t design my own babys’. I knew I would be a) too stressed out with a new baby and b) feel really indecisive about any design I came up with.

So, when I was pregnant for the first time, I contacted one of my favorite illustrators, Apryl, and hired her to do the announcement. Apryl is crazy talented and does the most incredible lettering.

She gave us the original (about 7″ x 10″) as a gift and we sent out smaller prints in the mail. The original was framed and hung over the crib. It turned out so amazing, we’ve hired her for the rest of the baby announcements too. We just received Betty’s last week. So, so darling. I can’t wait to mail them out.

I’ve posted all five so you can see the series.

Note: the colors are washed out on Ralph’s and Maude’s because I was scanning from a print (the originals are in frames and hard to access), but I had good digital files of the originals on the other 3.

27 thoughts on “Betty Blair’s Birth Announcement”

  1. I want to steal it too. Can she do them from across the country? How much does she charge? They are all so adorable. Could she do it even though Ben is 18 months? Oh I hope so. They are so cute.

  2. Megan, yes, she can do it from across the country. In fact, she currently lives in Seattle and it was no problem that I was in New York. Just contact her through her website: http://www.aprylstottdesign.com

    She’ll do a sketch and email it to you in b&w. Once you’re happy with it, she’ll make the illustration in color and mail it to you. You can make print-outs of it for the mail on your home printer if you’re interested. Ask her for the price when/if you contact her.

  3. Robin, Olive was born in 2001. (I forgot to have Apryl put it on the announcement, so next to Apryl’s signature on my original, I added the year, just in case I forget.)

  4. You’re baby names are perfect. Olive and Maude are my favorites. Have you ever read the young adult book called Olive’s Ocean? Every since I read that book I wanted to name one of my future kids Olive.

  5. i’m going through my “initiation” into design mom and i’m probably going to end up commenting on all of them. i’m just warning you so you don’t think i’m a stalker.

    i too am a designer and a mom, formerly of nyc, presently of nc. i think your blog is fabulous — you’ve quickly become one of my “check every day” blogs. and your birth announcements are gorgeous. great thinking jobbing these out. we were slaving over ours when my daughters were 2 months old (twins) and, although i’m happy with the results, i wouldn’t want to do it again.

  6. I love these announcements and love your kid’s names too. Found you via a mention on facebook about the toy project, which is also so amazing! looking forward to perusing your blog!

  7. Love your site and am just now spending a little more time on it. The birth announcements are the cutest ever. I can’t believe you have all those kids and can still be so productive!

  8. Just saw these thanks to the link. Love these! What a treasure! I love designing birth announcements for others, but my own children didn’t even have any because of the two reasons you stated above. You are a wise woman, Gabrielle!

    Hooray for babies…Linsey

  9. I think it’s so cool how Betty and Junes birthdays are one day after the other, just like Olive and Ralph.

    These are so cool by the way!

  10. Oh my goodness I have just found your website
    It is too amazing!
    I am a new teacher and I am off to buy a junior saw, so pencils and crayons around me are in trouble
    Thank you so much for an amazing idea
    Sue

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